The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-07-24
jim DArIs's CONFESSION.
He Didn't Know whether a Charge of
Csiue Had Been Made sr Not, Whsn
He Issued "A Warrant.

He Issued Warrant.
Last Monday CT Tuesday morning la
yer Pitt Douglass walked in the
dingy little back room in which James N.
Davis dispenses with justice and threw a.
neatly covered paper on his desk. 1t had
been prepared with typewriter and was
an affidavit made by Tom Potter.
that certain William E. Sackett, editor
of the SUNDAY NEWS, had done something
or other. Wednesday morning Davis met
the aforesaid Sackett on the street, and
told him that because Douglas had left the
afore- described paper on his table he had
sent Constable Jelly to bring the aforesaid
| Sackett to his little rear room, and advised
Sackett to appear sooA with bondsman.
Sackett suggested that, as he was already
under bail to answer one charge of Pot
| ters, he might be released on his own re-
| cognizance. The suggestion nearly gave
| the Justice eonniption. Ssckett expected
| it to. He had made it only for that pur-
pose, and q few minutes later he
persuaded ex Assemblyman Joseph T..
Kelly to accompany him to Dayiss Office
| to become surety for his appearance.
Davis was at his desk when the accused
and his bondsman arrived. Davis handed
Sackett the type-written affidavit lawyer
Douglass had left with him, and Sackstt
read it. Then ensued the following col
loquy:
| Sackett-Judge, where is the libel al
legged in this screed? (holding up Mr.. Pot
ter's afidavit).
JUDGE don't know, sir.
Sis any libel alleged in itP
| il don't know, sir.
S.-Do you mean to say that you have
| issued warrant for my arrest for libel
without knowing first whether have been
charged with libel2
/ j. That, sir, is matter to be de-
termined on your examination.
S.-Do you do business in this Court on
that principle?
What principle, sir?
S.-Why, on the principle that you can
put man under bail to answer for an Of
tense that you can't say he is even charged
| wi b?
J.-That is matter to be determined on
examination.
S. What, you are to determine after ar
resting me, whether the papers on which
| you base your warrant for my arrest for
libel, charge libel or not?
J.-Whoever says that have done that
lies.
S.-Does this complaint allege libel
gainst nae?
Jim noR-committal, sir. refuse to
be question cd about it.
Mr.. Kelly-Well, gentlemen, I did not
come in here to witness an alteration.
You are both friends of mine, and hope
you will desist.
JUDGE-If Mr.. 6ackstt would behave
himselfln this community, he would never
get into these troubles.
SAcKETT-l should claim small credit fol-
myself if I behaved no better in this COM
munity than you have, Judge
you have villainously maligned and
abused me in your paper for months, sir.
Friends have advised me to proceed
against you, but have made up my mind
to let you go the length of your rope.
S,-If went the length of my ropa
| would make it interesting for you.
J.--Do you wish an examination on this
charge
S.-What the devil is the use
J.-You must not swear in this court, sir.
Swell, then, what in thunder is the
use of my asking an examination at tho
| hands of Justice who admits that be
doesn't know whether am charged before
him with an offense or not, and who would
not acquit me were l ever SO innocent?
The Justice understood that to mean
that the accused Editor wouldn'i
spend his time unnecessarily in his Court,
and bound him over to see the grand jury
The article complained of this time is that
in which, last Sunday morning, the fact
that Potter had asked for our arrest fci
libel, because of an editorial on the Plum
| DOf+ int do